Battle goes on to fix lane ‘craters’
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COUNCILLORS are continuing a battle to have potholes repaired on a Churchtown road, amid growing unhappiness among residents.
Lib Dem councillors Pat Keith and Leo Evans say craters on Knob Hall are continuing to get worse as a dispute rumbles on over who is responsible for the maintenance.
As the road is officially unadopted, Sefton Council says it is not required to carry out the repairs, but the councillors accused it of reneging on an agreement to maintain the lane until it was adopted.
Cllr Keith said: “Deep craters and ponding water in Knob Hall Lane has led to fears from concerned residents about accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists and mobility vehicle users.
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“There is also the added worry of the damage to vehicles that fail to avoid the potholes with a massive queston mark hanging over who is responsibile for the maintainence of the road.
“The council are no longer complying with the terms of the original agreement and now contend that the residents are responsible for filling in the potholes.”
Hopes had been raised when Cllr Keith unearthed an archive agreement which stated that the council’s predecessor, Southport Corporation, would maintain the lane in good order, but Sefton says this was repealed almost 40 years ago.
“This is a critical clause in the Southport Improvement Act 1885 and totally changes the council’s current stance on the matter,“added Cllr Keith.
“When I approached the council to ask if there was a comparable unadopted road in Sefton, I was told that Montagu Road in Formby was similar. But when I made a site inspection with Knob Hall Lane area resident Stephen Hesketh we found that it wasn’t comparable.
“There were a total of 28 properties in that particular area but the reality is that, unlike Knob Hall Lane, there is no genuine through road in any practical or meaningful sense and the entrance to the road has a ‘No Entry’ sign any way. Furthermore, the end of Montagu Road leads onto the Fisherman’s Path trackway.
“The crucial difference is that Knob Hall Lane has a total of 134 houses and it is a significant thoroughfare between two heavily used roads. In addition, whenever there are road works on Radnor Drive, the council have redirected traffic down the lane adding to the wear and tear of a road they say they have no responsibility direct debit. This offer is only redeemable by direct debit. The price is £0.98 per week (30% discount) for the first 13 weeks and then £1.12 per week (20% discount) moving forward. After this period you will be given a 20% discount unless you decide to cancel. Offer open to new customers only. Offer ends 24th August 2019. for. The situation is ridiculous, untenable and unfair and the council should take immediate action to fulfil their duties and make the lane safe.”
A spokeswoman for Sefton Council said: “As Knob Hall Lane is an unadopted road, we are not responsible for its upkeep.
“This has been clearly explained to Cllr Keith and back in 2017 we arranged a site meeting with her to look at the state of the road and a quote was given for any repairs.
“The clause within the Southport Improvement Act 1885, that Cllr Keith refers to, was repealed almost 40 years ago by the County of Merseyside Act 1980 and is no longer applicable. Ultimately, any liability remains with the landowners, as this is deemed a private street.”